Internal-combustion engine



Jan. 6, 1948. J. STUCKE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 6, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Jo y/r Sr ucxs By W 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 406: y Attorney;

J. STUCKE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed 001;. 6, 1945 Jan. 6, 1948.

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J. STUCKE INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINE 5 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Oct. 6, 1943 Inventorc/omv STA/0x5 Patented Jan. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE John Stucke, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application October 6, 1943, Serial No.. 505,223

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary internal combustion engines of the whirlwind type forming the subject matter of my Patent No. 2,359,536, dated October 3, 1944.

The principal object of the instant invention is to provide an engine of the type above indicated equipped with an odd number of cylinders and pistons and for uniform application of power by each piston through the medium of a single throw crankshaft.

Another object is to provide in such an engine valve operating cam shafts rotating at the same ratio of speed as the crankshaft through the medium of planetary gearing simplified as compared with that disclosed in said copending application, supra, and eliminating valve rockers.

Other and subordinat objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of my improved internal combustion engine in its preferred embodiment,

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is another similar view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Filgure 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the hollow shaft and spider arms,

Figure '7 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of the crankshaft drawn to an enlarged scale and with parts shown in section,

Figure 8 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of one of the valve rods and guides, and

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the ignition means.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved engine, as illustrated, comprises three cylinders I, 2, 3 grouped around a horizontally disposed cylindrical casing 4 in 120 angular relation and extending radially therefrom, said cylinders being arranged in a common plane adjacent a rear closed end 5 of the casing and fixed in the casing in any suitable manner.

The cylinders I, 2, 3 are each provided on the side thereof opposite said rear end 5 of the casing 4 with a lateral head end extension 6 forming a valve chamber I for a pair of poppet inlet and exhaust valves 8, 9 having stems, or rods, I0, II, respectively, slidably mounted in bearing bosses I'2 on the bottom of the extension 6 and spring loaded, as at I3, in the usual manner for seating the valves. Th valve stems II], II converge toward the casing 4 and terminate in similarly converging, enlarged, polygonal guides I4 slidable in guideways I5 in said casing 4 and equipped within the casing, adjacent the inner circumferential wall of the casing, with rollers designated I6 in the case of the inlet valve stem [0, and I! in the case of the exhaust valve stem II. Plugs I8 are provided in the xtensions Bfor access to the chambers I and valves. A suitable casing I9 forming part of the extension 6 and cylinder is provided for each cylinder for closing the valve stems II), II.

A curved inlet pipe 20 extends from the front side of each valve chamber I to the casing 4 and is fixed to the casing midway between two of the cylinders by an end flange 2| and bolts 22 to register with an aperture 23 in the circumferential wall of the casing 4 and as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. The inlet pipes 20 are preferably disposed on the front sides of the cylinders I, 2, 3.

A curved exhaust pipe 24 extends from the front side of each valve chamber I and is integrally connected to an annular exhaust manifold 25 fitted around the casing 4 adjacent the front end of said casing. At a suitable point, an outlet nipple 26 is provided in the exhaust manifold 25.

The pistons 26 are connected by piston rods 21 to a single throw, or crank, 28 of a crankshaft 29 extending axially in the casing 4 from the rear end 5 thereof. The connection between said rods 21 and the throw 23 takes the following form: A wrist pin 30 connects the arms 3| of the throw and is secured in one arm by a squared end 32 having a nut 33 thereon. A bushing 34 surrounds the pin 36. The piston rod 21 of the piston 26 for the cylinder I is formed with a half-section hearing 35 partially surrounding the bushing 34 and provided with side ears 36. A second half-bearing section 31 is opposed to said section 35 on the other side of the bushing 34 and is bolted to the ears 36, as at 38. Opposed pairs of ears 39 extend radially from the half-section 31 in angular relation around the axis of the wrist pin 30. -The piston rods 21 of the pistons 26 for the cylinders 2, 3 are pivoted, as at 40, at the inner ends thereof between the pairs of ears 39, respectively. As will be understood, the pivots 40 are spaced in 120 angular relation around the 'axis'of the wrist pin 30.

The crankshaft 29 is journaled at its rear end in a bushed step bearing 4I in the rear end 5 of the casing 4 and between said end and the throw 28 is equipped with a balance wheel 42 in the casing 4. The front end of the crankshaft 29 is journaled in a cap-type bushing 43 fitted in the internally enlarged inner end of a hollow shaft 44 extending axially forwardly out of the front end of the casing 4. At the front end of the casing 4, said shaft 44 extends through a ball bearing unit 45 set into a sleeve-like fixed housing 46 having a reduced inner end 41 sleeved onto the shaft 44. A nut 48 and washer 49 on the shaft 44 retain the unit 45 in the housing 46. The housing 46 forms the central part of a cross-arm 50 extending diametrically across the front end of the casing 4 and which is fixed at its ends in a suitable frame represented at 5|. The front end of the casing 4 is rotatably mounted on the housing 46 by means of an annular closure plate 52 for said front end bolted to the casing, as at 53, and rotatably fitted over the front end of the housing 46 behind a front end flange 54 on'said housing. The rear end 5 of said casing 4 is rotatably mounted in a bearing frame member 55 by means of an axial boss 56 and a ball bearing unit 51, the boss having an axial stub shaft 58 extending therefrom for use in any suitable manner as a driving shaft.

The hollow shaft 44 forms part of an inlet manifold for conducting fuel from the discharge neck 59 of a carburetor, not shown, which neck is provided with end ears 68 bolted, as at 6I, to an annular cap member 62 fitted on the front end of said shaft 44 and against the flange 54 of the housing 46, said end of the shaft 44 being journaled in said member 62.

Radial branch pipes 63 extend from said shaft 44, forwardly of the bearing 43, to the beforementioned apertures 23 in the casing 4 and are bolted to the circumferential wall of the casing 4 by end flanges 64 and bolts 65.

The hollow shaft 44 further forms a carrier for planetary gearing and valve operating cams now to be described.

Intermediate its ends, a series of three spider arms 66 extend radially from said shaft 44 in 120 angular relation and are equipped at their outer ends with bearings 61 in which are rotatably mounted hollow shafts 68 parallel with said shaft 44. The shafts 68 are provided with like front end planetary gears 69 formed integrally with the shafts and meshing with another like sun gear fast on the inner end of the housing 46. Like planetary gears II are formed on the rear ends of the shafts 68 and mesh with a driving gear 12 fast on the crankshaft 29 intermediate the throw 28 and the rear end of the hollow shaft 44. The shafts 68 have formed thereon, intermediate the gears II and the spider arms 66, a pair of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced inlet and exhaust cams I3, 14. The pair of inlet and exhaust cams l3, '14 of each shaft 68 is arranged to engage the pair of rollers I6, I! of the inlet and exhaust valve stems I0, II of one of the cylinders. The described gearing I2, H, 69, I0 is arranged so that rotation of the crankshaft 29 will impart a 1 to 1 ratio of drive to the casing 4 in the reverse direction, and the cams I3, 14 are arranged to successively actuate the appropriate pair of inlet and exhaust valve stems III, II at 90 intervals in the cycle of rotation of the casing 4.

The ignition means comprises a stationary contact on top of the cap members 62 in the vercasing of aninternal combustion engine of the tical center thereof adapted to be suitably ener gized by a battery 16 through a line I1 and under control of a suitably located switch 18. A circular series of three contacts I9, 80, 8| for the cylinders I, 2, 3, respectively, are suitably secured to the plate 52 in 120 angular relation for wiping engagement with the contact 15 under rotation of said casing 4. Leads 82, 83, 84 are suitably extended from the contacts 19, 80, 8| to sparkplugs 85 of said cylinders I, 2, 3.

The operation of the described engine will be readily understood from the foregoing and the following brief explanation.

With the parts in the position shown in the drawings, and assuming that the cylinders I, 2, 3 and easing 4 revolve clockwise, as viewed in Figure 1, and. starting with cylinder I, in uppermost position, under the power stroke of the piston 26, the crankshaft 29 will be rotated counter-clockwise and the casing 4 revolved clockwise together with the cylinders I, 2, 3 at the same ratio of speed as that of the crankshaft 29 but reversely relative thereto, all through the medium of the gear 12, planetary gears II, shafts 68, planetary gears 69, and the sun gear 10, the said shafts 68 and the gears II, 69 revolving around the axis of the crankshaft 29 and the hollow shaft 44 rotating counter to said crankshaft. The firing order of the cylinders is I, 2, 3.

Considering cylinder I, as shown in Figure 1, to be in zero position in the cycle of operation, the power stroke of the cylinder I will start at zero and finish at the exhaust stroke will start at 90 and finish on 180; the intake stroke will start at 180 and finish at 270. The power stroke of cylinder 2 will start at 240 and finish at 330; the exhaust stroke will start at 330 and finish on 60; the intake stroke will start at 60 and finish on 150. The power stroke of cylinder 3 will start at and finish at 210; the exhaust stroke will start at 210 and finish at 300; the intake stroke will start at 300 and finish on 30.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Drive mechanism for the rotary cylindrical casing of an internal combustion engine of the type embodying cylinders on said casing with pistons therein, said mechanism comprising an axial crank shaft in said casing to which said pistons are operatively connected, a hollow rotary shaft extending into said casing coaxially with the crank shaft and in one end of which the crank shaft is journaled at one end thereof, a series of shafts in said casing grouped around the hollow shaft parallel therewith and mounted thereon for rotation and for revolving by the same, gearing operatively connecting the crank shaft within the casing to the shafts of said series at one end thereof, and gearing operatively connecting the shafts of the series at the other end thereof to said casing, said hollow shaft being adapted to form an inlet manifold.

2. Drive mechanism for the rotary cylindrical type embodying cylinders on the casing with pistons therein, and inlet and exhaust valve operating push rods extending in pairs into said casing, said mechanism comprising an axial crank shaft in said casing to which said pistons are operatively connected, a hollow rotary shaft extending into said casing coaxially with the crank shaft and in one end of which the crank shaft is journaled at one end thereof, a series of cam shafts in the casing for operating said pairs of push rods, respectively, grouped around the hollow shaft parallel therewith and mounted thereon for rotation and for revolving by the same, means operatively connecting the crank shaft to the shafts of the series for imparting rotation thereto, and means operatively connecting the shafts of the series to the casing for causing rotation of said shafts of the series to impart rotation to said casing, said hollow shaft being adapted to form an inlet manifold.

3. Drive mechanism for the rotary cylindrical casing of an internal combustion engine of the type embodying cylinders on the casing with pistons therein, and inlet and exhaust valve operating push rods extending in pairs into said casing, said mechanism comprising an axial crank shaft in said casing to which said pistons are operatively connected, a hollow rotary shaft extending into said casing coaxially with the crank shaft and in one end of which the crank shaft is journaled at one end thereof, a series of cam shafts in the casing for operating said pairs of push rods, respectively, grouped around the hollow shaft parallel therewith and mounted thereon for rotation and for revolving by the same, means operatively connecting the crank shaft to the shafts of the series for imparting rotation thereto,

and means operatively connecting the shafts of the series to the casing for causing rotation of said shafts of the series to impart rotation to said casing, said hollow shaft being adapted to form an inlet manifold, the first mentioned means comprising planetary gearing operatively connecting the crank shaft within the casing to the shafts of the series at one end thereof, and the last mentioned means comprising planetary gearing operatively connecting the shafts of the series at the other end thereof to said casing.

JOHN S'IUCKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

